Secrets and Lies: The Daughter – Searching for Rachel (Recap/Review)

In Secrets and Lies this week Eric continues searching for his wife’s killer and Danny, the NYPD detective, is still looking for his daughter Rachel. The two men have a falling out when Eric realizes that Danny is working with Cornell.

Neil is held for questioning about the escort he took to Eric’s party. Before that, Cornell comes under pressure from Major Bryant to take on a partner. Like all fictional cops, Cornell works better alone and says so.

Later, however, it looks like Detective Ralston may meet Cornell’s expectations as a potential partner. Bryant certainly notices that the dour homicide detective works well with Ralston. This may crop up later as an enforced partnership.

Cornell gives Eric Warner his dead wife’s mail. She points out that one of the letters is a delinquent mortgage notice. By the end of their short talk, Eric angrily tells the detective that he married a woman he knew nothing about.

Eric finds Patrick talking to Neil and he confronts his friend about lying. Clearly there is something going on between Patrick and Neil that Eric knows nothing about. It would not be too surprising to learn that Patrick, who has a drink problem and is unable to keep a secret, knows more about Rachel and Kate than he is letting on.

Patrick joins Eric on a trip to Boone. The mortgaged house that Kate paid off without her husband’s knowledge is located there. So is Kate’s mother.

Cornell and Ralston pull a sting on Carly and bring her in for questioning. Apparently the escort is a favorite of the police department as a number of cops avoid her gaze as she heads back to be interrogated.

The call girl is not a cooperative witness although she does corroborate Neil’s alibi. Carly gives up nothing else and she refuses to acknowledge the presence of Rachel, even though the two are in a selfie together.

Cornell puts Carly on hold until she can question her further. However, when she returns the call girl has been released by someone high-up in the department.

Patrick lets the cat out of the bag about his sister’s marital problems. Eric apologies to Amanda and he tells there are too many secrets in the family.

Eric and Patrick meet Kate’s mother, the woman that she told Eric was dead, and he learns that Kate’s past is full of even more secrets. Cornell talks to Amanda and reveals that she knows Eric and Patrick are in Boone.

Warner learns about Jake, Kate’s mother’s boyfriend that she “stole” at the age of 16. The man is her son’s father. Eric and Patrick go to see him. Eric accuses Jake of rape and hits him.

They talk after the assault and the funniest part of the episode was Jake’s wife. She leans down, before he talks to Eric, and tells him:

“I heard what was said. We will talk later.”

The woman’s tone indicates that her husband will be in the doghouse for a long time. After the meeting, the brothers go home. In the parking garage, Danny approaches Eric asking for help.

The detective’s demeanor has changed drastically. The aggressive and bullying man has disappeared. In Eric’s apartment, as the two men talk, Amanda arrives. She reveals that Danny has a warrant out for his arrest. He left in the middle of a huge drug bust trial and is a crucial witness.

Major Bryant confronts Cornell. She goes on the offensive by demanding to know why her witness; Carly, was released. Bryant reads his best detective the riot act and tells her to arrest her informant, Danny.

In this little exchange we learn more about Cornell. She has daughter and they apparently do not get along.

There have been complaints about the second season of Secrets and Lies. Many feel that after the show lost its original source material (the Australian series it is based on only lasted one season) it has floundered amid the use of stereotypical tropes and a weak storyline.

Detective Cornell, despite her grim visage, is an interesting character. Her dour and almost aggressive approach makes her different from most TV cops. With such anti social tendencies it is no wonder that she works better alone.

While there is no clear suspect as yet, it does look like Kate’s dear old mom could be someone with enough anger to push Mrs. Warner off the roof. Although Eric’s temper, and his being on the roof, makes him a close second.

Secrets and Lies airs Sundays on ABC. Tune in and see if Cornell arrests Danny and whether the investigation comes up with a better suspect.